Your visits with your Naturopathic Doctor will be longer than most medical visits you have experienced in the past. We do this to allow time to comprehensively evaluate your health, thoroughly discuss your treatment plan and answer your questions.

Every patient can be assured of receiving the highest standard of care inherent to Naturopathic Medicine. We want you to not only feel better, but to be healthier. To do this we aim beyond the standard Treat only the Symptoms approach to health and abide by our defining principle to Treat the Cause of Disease.

Most importantly, Vive’s Naturopathic Doctors are honest professionals genuinely interested in you and your health. We know that a doctor–patient relationship is built on a foundation of trust, and we aim to foster the relationship with open discussion and clear communication. We will be gentle, but we will not hesitate to say what needs to be said—this is your health after all. We will help you understand your body and empower you to make meaningful strides toward your better health.

During your first visit we will carefully gather your medical history and complete a complaint oriented physical examination as needed. The history taking will initially focus on your primary health concerns, but will also address other aspects of your health that may be contributing to your primary concerns and overall well being. We may also request you have further laboratory testing completed to shine further light on your case. At the conclusion of this visit you will be given a recommendation for scheduling a follow up visit.

Usually a second visit is booked within one to two weeks time to more thoroughly discuss each specific aspect of your individualized treatment plan, outline the entire strategy and answer your questions. Although some aspects of your treatment will have begun after the first visit, the larger strategy will begin to take shape this visit. This may involve dietary recommendations, supplements, herbs, Chinese medicine, injection therapy or other approaches to treatment depending on your case.

A good relationship improves with time, and the doctor–patient relationship is no exception. Your doctor will gradually learn more about you as you continue working together, allowing your treatment plan to develop and become even more personalized.

Furthermore, because every patient is different, time allows your doctor to learn how your body reacts in different circumstances, with different treatments and with different dietary or lifestyle adjustments.

Remember also that before symptoms were even present, the process of disease was building. This is called the pre-clinical period, and often begins years before the onset of symptoms. This says a great deal about the importance of prevention even when people feel they are ”healthy.“